Amazon.com, Customer Reviews:
Reviewer: C.J. Hardman from San Diego, CA, USA
December 23, 2002
Ever Wonder about Tradition vs. Modernity in M.A.?
Have you ever done a technique and known in your heart of hearts it was highly impractical? Have you ever guiltily wondered about some of the promotion, rank, and respectibility games some martial artists play? Have you ever felt torn between ancient methods and recent technology? Bob Orlando broaches many of these unspoken topics which affect martial artists today.
While this book does not tear down and dismiss altogether the traditional methods of training, Orlando offers insights into many of the concepts and practices traditionalists (including myself) have been wrestling with for a long time. Moreover, Orlando serves up these topics with good humor, and does not pretend to be feeding his readers any absolute answer. As a long time student and teacher of the martial arts, I found these views helpful and long overdue (in print, at least). It is nice to know there are others out there who often wonder about and question our "sacred cows", and it is good to see someone who can do this without the snobbishness of some so-called "modern" martial arts practitioners.
Orlando's background includes Chinese Kenpo-Karate, Kung fu under Al Dacascos, and Chinese Kuntao and Indonesian Pentjak Silat under master teacher William de Thours. Here is a quote which I really liked: "Rank [...] is excess baggage. It becomes a hindrance to learning because everyone expects that you already know everything".